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Powered by people and technology in 2018

Contrary to some expectations, 2017 didn’t turn out to be a year of economic or business catastrophe. GDP growth remained solid if unexciting, and unemployment reached a record low. On the other hand, inflation has been creeping up and productivity growth slowed down.

Our fifth annual owner managed business (OMB) report reveals remarkable resilience, with many OMBs performing better than expected last year. Also encouragingly, OMB confidence in the short-term future has bounced back, with business owners working towards achieving their revenue and profit targets. What’s not clear is whether this is the calm before the storm of 2019, when the UK will finally leave the European Union on whatever terms we end up agreeing.

We would like to thank all the business leaders who took part in our survey, and particularly those who participated in our in-depth interviews. Sharing experiences is important if the needs of OMBs are to be understood and addressed.

Click on the highlights from each section below, or to download the full report, please click here.